The Boston Celtics suffered a crushing 123-116 loss at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, but it certainly wasn’t Jayson Tatum’s fault. The Celtics superstar forward led all scorers with 46 points, and amid the “face of the NBA” discussion, Gilbert Arenas believes he’s found the guy who fits the bill.

With guys like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant approaching the end of their careers, one of the most discussed debates surrounding the league currently is who will take over and fill that role for them. While he’s not the most frequently mentioned name in the conversation, Arenas believes Tatum is the guy, due in large part to how much criticism he receives from fans.

“Facts … 1,000%. When you talk about him negative compared to his actual resume, this is not the 80s and the 90s where we made our superstar look good. For the last 20-something years, it’s been a negative thing on the face of the NBA. Whoever got bashed the most didn’t even think about it. He is the face because we pretend his resume is not his resume, so we want to tear him down,” Arenas said on his “Gil’s Arena” show.

Jayson Tatum continuing to star for Celtics in wake of NBA Finals victory

Tatum isn’t necessarily the best player in the NBA, but he’s been a top five player for a couple years now. He’s continued to star for Boston in the wake of their 2024 NBA Finals victory, averaging 27 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 45.5% shooting from the field. At this point, he’s virtually a lock for a spot on the All-NBA first-team, and he’s making some headway in the MVP conversation too.

At just 26 years old, Tatum is already one of the most accomplished players in the game, and it looks like the Celtics stretch of success could only just be getting started. He may not be the most boisterous player, but if Tatum can keep on winning in Boston, more folks could end up agreeing with Arenas by labeling him the new face of the league.